Nightcrawlers a.k.a. Earthworms: Nightcrawlers are one of the easiest and cheapest cat baits to get. If you buy them it dont cost you much, or if your cheap like me you can just get them out of your yard. Nightcrawlers are most effective for channel cats, bullheads, and blues. Although on rare occasion you will get a flathead to bite on them as well.

Chicken, Beef, or Turkey Liver: Liver is another favorite amongst mad catters. Its also a very obtainable and cheap bait to use. It can be very messy though. I like to use mine about half frozen. This way its not near as messy and it stays on the hook very well. The thawing of the liver gives off the blood scent that cats can pick up from very far distances. Liver is very effective for channel cats and bullheads. It can also be good for blues depending on the time of the season.

Dip baits or other prepared baits: Over the counter pre-made baits come in all scents and, uh, flavors. They are normally not too expensive but are usually pretty messy. They can be used by just pushing your hook into the bait container, or using a specially made jig to hold the bait onto the hook. Prepared baits can also be ones you make at home. Sometimes I use a Wheaties/Hamburger ball I mix here at hom.Prepared baits are very effective for both channels and bullheads. They are often times good for blues as well.

One type of dipbait.

The common bluegill: Bluegill are abundant in most areas around the U.S. They are easy enough to catch with just a small hook,bobber, and wax worm or nightcrawler. They are also one of the main forage fish for big cats. They can be hooked behind the dorsal fin below the spine, at the end of the tail, or up through the lower jaw and up through the nostrils. Bluegills are very effective baitfish for big flatheads, blues, and sometimes larger channel cat. Their drawback is that they shock easilly and dont stay alive for long periods of time.

Common Bluegill

The yellow bullhead or "yellowbelly" catfish: Yep cats are not picky and will eat their own kind! Yellow bullhead cats can be found in many lakes and ponds around your area and are easilly enough caught on nighcrawlers, redworms or wax worms. They are very effective for flatheads, blues, and sometimes channel cats. You can hook them the same as you do bluegill. One thing I love about these fish as bait is that they will stay alive and very active for hours on end in most cases.

Yellow bullhead or "yellowbelly"

Gizzard Shad: Gizzard Shad can be found in very high numbers in the early season around damns and spillways. They are much easier to get with a throw net or a dip net. They can be hooked the same as I stated in the other baitfish descriptions. Shad will not live long after being taken out of the water but are just as effective dead. In many places shad is the main forage fish for flatheads and channels, and blues just love them.

Gizzard Shad

Common Creek Chub: Chubs can be caught in about any small stream or river near you. They can be caught using the same rig and bait as bluegill. They like bluegill dont stay lively for long on the hook. They are good baits though for flatheads, blues, and small channels.

Common Creek Chub

Warmouth: These fish are a relative of the bluegill in the same sunfish family. They tend to inhabit rocky embankments though right up near the bank. They can be caught just like a bluegill, same bait, rig, and all. You can tell them apart from bluegill by the lined marking on their gillplates. Now heres the fun part. Unlike bluegill these bad boys are lively, and are fighters.They tend to stay alive much longer than bluegill and are great baits for flatheads, blues and sometimes channels.

Warmouth

Goldfish: Goldfish can be found in many of the same place shad can during early season, but not near as plentiful. Most live bait dealers will carry these fish however. They are not known for lasting long on the hook, but are good bait none the less. Goldfish are effective for flatheads, and sometimes blues and channels.

Goldfish

Common Sucker: The common sucker can be found in many the same places as creek chubs. They can easilly be caught on rod and reel with the same rig as bluegill and other baitfish. They are great baits for flatheads, blues, and larger channel cat. They will live for a moderately long time while hooked.

Common Sucker

These are just some examples of natural forage for catfish. There are many others that will work as well, but too many to put up here. Remember that in the early season (prespawn) cats will eat just about anything. They are just coming off of a long winter of scarce feeding and need to beef up to prepare to spawn. In this case you can take your baitfish and chunk them up with a fillet knife. You can use 1"x1" chunks of the fish or fillet the sides and use them. The head in itself is also very good bait. When using cutbait try to gather the more oily baitfish such as herring, sucker and shad. They give off a much better scent and for a longer period of time. The others work well but must be re-baited about every 20min. When using live bait dont be shy about using larger fish. Larger baitfish will often times get you larger catfish.